1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus, a reproducing method, and a recording medium that can be suitably used when a plurality of video signals are simultaneously reproduced.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as the digital high definition television broadcasts have been practically implemented, in the National Television System Committee (NTSC) video data format, progressively scanned video data having a frame frequency of 59.94 Hz (60 Hz), which are capable of displaying more precise pictures, are being dominantly used instead of traditionally interlaced scanned video data having a frame frequency of 29.97 Hz (30 Hz).
In such an environment, display apparatus such as flat panel display units using a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a plasma display panel (PDP) that can display progressively scanned video data having a frame frequency of 59.94 Hz (60 Hz) are being placed in the market. Display apparatus that the users use as mainstream units, however, are those that can display interlaced scanned video data having a frame frequency of 29.97 Hz (30 Hz).
On the other hand, movie pictures are produced using traditional optical films as progressively scanned video data with 24 frames per second, namely having a frame frequency of 24 Hz.
Thus, when progressively scanned video data having a frame frequency of 24 Hz are displayed by a display apparatus that can display progressively scanned video data having a frame frequency 29.97 Hz (30 Hz), it is necessary to cause the reproducing apparatus side to convert progressively scanned video data having a frame frequency of 24 Hz into interlaced scanned video data having a frame frequency of 30 Hz (field frequency of 60 Hz).
When progressively scanned video data having a frame frequency of 24 Hz (hereinafter referred to as 24p video data) are converted into interlaced scanned video data having a frequency of 30 Hz (field frequency of 60 Hz) (hereinafter referred to as 60i video data), 24p video data are alternately converted into three frames and two frames of 60i video data according to a predetermined conversion pattern. Thus, this process is referred to as the 3-2 pull-down (or 2-3 pull-down) process.
Next, the 3-2 pull-down process, which converts 24p video data into 60i video data, will be described. There is a relationship of 2 to 5 in frame frequencies between 24p video data and 60i video data. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in the 3-2 pull-down process, for example, whenever each frame of 24p video data is output, three successive frames and two successive frames of 60i video data (see FIG. 1B) are alternately output. Thus, in the 3-2 pull-down process, 24p video data are converted into 60i video data.
International Publication No. 04/032494 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) describes a technique that performs the 3-2 pull-down process that converts 24p video data based on a film material into 60i video data.